


Rising Suns

by KashyyykFreak



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015), Star Wars Legends: Last of The Jedi Series - Jude Watson
Genre: F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-31
Updated: 2018-03-21
Packaged: 2019-03-11 18:17:33
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,241
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13529886
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KashyyykFreak/pseuds/KashyyykFreak
Summary: A realistic perspective of life after "The Last Jedi". Following the demise of Snoke and escape of the remainder of the Rebel fleet from Crait, Rey and the Rebels begin anew on Endor. Rey struggles to come to terms with her new abilities while leaving her old life and fleeting relationship with Ben Solo behind.





	1. Genesis

She picked up another bullet shell, rolling it in her delicate hand, tucking it away for later use. She made a mental note to separate it from the hard nuts collecting in her pocket later on. She checked her compass briefly and looked to the sky to gauge how much longer she might have the sun. No easy feat given the lush canopy above her. Rey had explored the forest of Endor for three hours to no avail. If she had bargained right she only had two more hours to spare before she was due back.

This vast forest was new to her as was any place. For as long as she could remember she only knew Jakku to be home. Now, several months later she found herself with a small wealth of friends and newfound abilities. Some abilities however, die hard. Her face ignited with a smile as she spotted gold. An AT-ST walker. The forest had engulfed the walker with vines claiming it as its own. She took a machete to the mass of green cutting away at the overgrowth. When she was done she wiped her brow clean of sweat and made her way inside the chamber. 

It was not as large as the AT-AT she made home in years before but the machinery was fairly comparable. If there was anything to pride the Empire on it was their consistency in detail and craftsmanship. This allowed her ease in stripping away the cables and pocketing the capacitor bearings in her sling bag. She checked the sky once more and gathered her things. 

She grit her teeth as the overhead horns began a blaring sequence alerting to curfew enforcement. She had ten minutes to make it back to the compound before the doors were locked shut for the night. Her pace quickened as the night sky grew around her. She had just made it in time at the West entrance when Poe had turned the corner to initiate lock down. 

“One day you’re not gonna make it and you’re going to have a cold night,” Poe warned with a grin.

Rey smiled, “I’d lift the door myself, you’d see”

Poe reached around her pulling the hanger’s lever down shutting the entrance behind her. 

“Need an escort?” Poe asked.

“I think I’ll find my way”

The two parted with a small wave at the end of the hall each helping themselves to their own rooms. The base was largely underground and was a labyrinth in itself but Rey walked the halls with ease. It had been two weeks since the Resistance had settled here. It was temporary by all means but it had served the small group well. After the battle on Endor it was taken over by the rebels and was key in intercepting information as the Empire unraveled under the fall of the Death Star, the Emperor, and Darth Vader. It was built to house hundreds of storm troopers as the second Death Star was constructed and now was inhabited by only a handful of people. Rey saw herself to her quarters or those of a former commander. While dingy from years of abandonment it was the closest thing she had ever had to her own space. Once inside she closed and locked the door behind her and made her way to the refresher. Here she ran water over capacitor bearings and scrubbed them thoroughly with some wire mesh she had stolen from an old supply closet the day before. Once the piece was free of dirt and dried oil she began to work on herself. She scrubbed her arms with a damp cloth, ringing it clean every few minutes. She peered at herself in the mirror breaking her transient routine. She had to laugh at herself for not knowing any better. She turned around and turned the knob on for the shower head. After a few minutes of waiting it heated up sufficiently and she peeled off her clothes before stepping inside. “That’s better,” she thought to herself. She let her mind linger as she took pleasure in the warmth of the shower. Such luxuries were few and far between on Jakku. When she was done she toweled off and robed herself in clothes that were slightly too big for her. They had what had been left of the supplies that managed to escape with the crew from D’Qar. It wasn’t much but it was more than Rey had been used to. She was gracious to the resistance for their acceptance and would never think to complain about their circumstances. 

She sat cross legged on her bed and flipped through one of the Jedi texts. She was learning about padawans and the formalities that existed. She frowned knowing that she would never experience such a thing. If Ben was here he would refute it but alas he was gone and fully embodied by Kylo Ren in his place. She lifted a finger willing the page to turn. The page shook gently and fell back down refusing her demand. Rey sighed in frustration. Her ability to harness the force had been dwindling ever since her throne room encounter and boulder lifting on Crait. Her efforts were exhaustive and she found herself unable to even lift a pen with the outreach of her hand. She hadn’t known this to occur before. Finn had suggested she had overexerted herself. It may have been true but it was no less infuriating to her. Nonetheless she continued to read the texts night after night willing it to strengthen her abilities.

If there was one positive she could gleam from her situation it was that she had yet to see Kylo Ren again. While their minds were supposedly bridged by Snoke she could not deny his stolen glance as she boarded the falcon leaving him and Crait behind. She hoped that it was a lingering effect of Snoke, one to never return. The thought of seeing him made her stomach swirl and she always busiest herself on the off chance her thoughts would connect them once again. Tonight she was too tired to rehash the past and settled into bed. Her head nestled into the old pillow and she pulled the blanket to her chest. Across the room she fixed her eyes on the halves of Luke’s light saber. It rattled under her hard demeanor but would not raise from the table. She closed her tired eyes and willed tomorrow to be different.


	2. Lost and Found

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Rey is confronted with news that there is a bounty out for her she manages to get lost in the forest of Endor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for the kudos following my first chapter! It was so fun to write it and I intend to continue the story :)

It had happened again- the nightmares. For the umpteeth time she watched as the scene played out before eyes. Time after time she appeared in the same location. It was as if the island couldn’t, wouldn’t let her go. She closed her eyes tightly willing herself to wake up. Instead she was doomed to relive it all again. Salt air wisped around her slender frame stinging her open wounds. The waves of Ahch-To roared beneath the portal threatening to swallow her whole. And then there was the whispers. The voice called to her, willing her to come closer. She ignored it and turned around hastily searching for an area to which she could tether herself. Rey adjusted her grip on the slippery rock and began to ascend quickly. It was of no use and the wind surrounded her tugging forcibly at her frock and hanging limbs. She reached out grappling for support but found there was none. A scream escaped her lips as she was pulled violently to the underside. When she surfaced she was greeted with a kaleidoscope of images. She slowly moved closer as if a magnet was pulling her in. Her hand was mere centimeters away from the mirror when her body jerked up suddenly, awoken to the heavy knock on her door.    
  
She breathed heavily unable to shake the dream from her head. After taking a moment to regain her composure she made her way to the door opening it wide.    
  
“Rey?” Lieutenant Connix said, peeking inside.    
  
“Yes?”   
  
“The council requests your presence at today’s meeting,” she said matter of factly.    
  
Rey nodded, distracted. When Connix excused herself Rey dressed and made her way to the conference room. It wasn’t like her to oversleep. On a normal day she would be just finishing practice with her staff and on her way to meet Finn for lunch. Now she walked quickly down the hall and past the kitchen in order to make the 1 pm meeting time. She pondered the subject of their request. She had only met the council once before, in a large introductory gathering the week before. Unbeknown to the group a small rescue fleet was on its way to Crait after all. Thankfully Chewbacca intercepted their communication lines on a whim and diverted their journey away from the First Order. When they landed they immediately sought to provide care to the injured and Rose was carted away from a worried Finn. After that day more and more supporters landed on Endor pledging their allegiance. The council formed quickly as to take control of the growing group and began to strategize their next move against the First Order.

  
She knocked lightly on the conference room door and was greeted by Poe who stepped aside to allow her to enter. She flashed him a look of uncertainty, questioning his presence. The members greeted her with a nod and urged her to sit down in the seat set out before them. Rey scanned her eyes around the room taking in the new faces. Admiral Kane from Naboo, Lieutenant  Jane from Corellia. Finally her eyes rested on General Organa who broke the rooms silence.    
  
“Rey I’m sure you know why we called you before us today,” she announced.  “We’ve intercepted reports from the First Order confirming Supreme Leader Snoke’s Death,” she smiled gently. “As the perpetrator there is a bounty out for you Rey”    
  
Rey’s eyebrows writ in confusion. This was news to her. “No.” She said firmly. I didn’t kill him.” The council looked at her curiously. “It was Kylo Ren” she said through gritted teeth.    
  
If Leia was surprised she didn’t show it. She looked to Rey to go on but she remained silent.    
  
“If there is anything else, it’s imperative we know” Leia encouraged. Rey looked around once more before shaking her head gently, “no”. Leia held her gaze moments longer as the councilmen broke out in side chatter. Just as soon as she arrived she was excused to allow the council to complete their meeting in secrecy. Instead of staying, Poe walked briskly behind her retreating form. “Hey!” He called. “You didn’t tell me that.”    
  
Rey turned to face him. “So I have to report everything to you now?”. His expression turned soft and then rehardened. “You don’t. But you shouldn’t keep secrets from the Resistance.” he said with a long glance before turning and walking back in.    
  
Rey retreated to the forest. She was fuming. It wasn’t entirely out of character for him but the accusation hurt the same. “Coward,” she thought. She pushed the brush away and walked deeper into the forest until she found a large fallen trunk to sit upon. She sat cross legged and began to meditate. This was a daily occurrence for her. One that brought her mental clarity as well as faint hope Luke would come before her. It was a feeble attempt but she hoped he was out there, somewhere, willing to help her. Regrettably she didn’t tell Leia about her.. attachment. How could she when she hardly understood it herself. For all Rey knew, their bond was over and any information would further chip away at Leia’s memory of Ben. Once she thought he was coming back but now she accepted that he was further gone than she thought possible. When she grew tired of meditating she threw her energy into exploring. The forest was her playground and she resolved to learn every bug, every plant, and every tree present. Her curiosity got the best of her and she wondered deeper than she had previously. When she heard the compounds siren she panicked. Time had fallen away from her and she had spent the entire day outside. She walked into the direction of the horn but realized quickly she didn’t know the area she was in. Worse, the sun began to set and her visibility was limited. Her pace quickened and she began to push through the leaves and vines toward what she believed was the entrance. Her mouth drew open in shock when she heard the final chime leaving her on her own.    
  
She cursed herself for allowing her to become lost. She had never been this irresponsible before. With the remaining daylight she began to collect kindling to make a fire. Rey reminded herself she had been on her own for practically her whole life and this was no different. She pulled moss off the side of a nearby tree and centered it between the methodically arranged wood. Unlike Jakku, Endor was humid making the feat all the more difficult. She began to twist the wood against each other growing increasingly frustrated at the poor production. Finally she managed to start a small flame which she poked at until it spread. She moved close to the fire and pulled her knees to her chest as the temperature began to fall. Her stomach growled reminding her of her failure to eat all day. It increasingly became angrier until she could no longer stand it. She took a branch from her fire and used the torch as a light source as she began to scavenge. Finally she returned to the fire with a handful of berries and nuts. “That should suffice,” she thought. She inhaled her findings without a second thought and laid down on a log to take her place for the night. She began to doze off hugging her arms to her body. When she next awoke she became acutely aware that she was not alone. The night was still dark and the fire blazed undisturbed. She sat up and scanned until she finally saw him. His back was to her, reading something she couldn’t quite make out. Her hands felt clammy and her stomach tensed. Before she had another second to herself she heaved over the log.


	3. After the storm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey and Kylo Encounter each other for the first time since Crait.

Darkness gave way to light and light gave way to darkness. It was their balance that brought hope to a world riddled with injustices. At its core were two formidable opponents whose energies ebbed and flowed between anger and lust. It was Kylo, deep in thought, who was caught off guard. It began as a glow on his shoulder having gone unnoticed if he hadn’t felt it before. Her presence radiated behind him, tugging gently at his mind. He refused the distraction, stiffening and focusing on the crowd before him.   
  
“Set course at 0800 and prepare my ship. You're dismissed”. His orders were met with stiff nods in agreement and the officers before him rose from their seats exiting the conference room.    
  
His abruptness would go unnoticed. After all he was not known for lengthy speech on war or building inspiration. Those matters were exhaustive and a disruption of his greater picture. No, those were reserved entirely for someone else. The officers took his bold pushy attitude in stride knowing full well that any disobedience would result in the same fate as his father’s. Alas there was one whose attitude rivaled his own.    
  
“Supreme leader, a word” Armitage Hux said taking Kylo aside. The room cleared out before them and the two were left seemingly inches apart at the tables head. “Don’t you feel our time would be better used in tracking down the resistance” Hux asked with a coy smile.    
  
“Those were not my orders. Prepare the ships,” he said coldly. General Hux stood his ground for a moment longer his face curling into a look of disgust. When he could no longer bear the silent stand off he turned on his heel barking commands toward passerby’s. “Graves, call all hands to the bridge”. Kylo felt Hux’s anger swell and took pleasure in his defeat and wiping the smug look from his face.   
  
As soon as Hux left the room did Kylo turn and search. He shoved past the hurried troopers and stormed the hall in her direction. What glow was there was gone and replaced by a brazen fire as the two grew near. He found himself at the end of the hall in an empty storage facility when he saw her. When they finally locked eyes she hastened her retreat. “Rey” he said, the name hanging longingly on his lips. Her voice was dim and fearful, “Stay back. Get away from me”. He stepped forward ignoring her cries. She stumbled backward over hidden branches in an attempt to further their distance. Rey caught herself hap hazardously on a nearby limb and steadied herself as she felt his physical and mental presence grow.    
  
A knowing smile crept upon his face, “You’ve weakened.”    
  
“You’re a coward,” she said matter of factly. “If the first order knew the truth they’d abandon you”    
  
“I don’t need them,” he spat. “But you need me”   
  
She looked up at him with shrouded defiant eyes. “I’ll take no master”    
  
“Then the gift will cease to exist entirely”   
The phrase caught her off guard and he could sense her uncertainty. There. He had her full attention.    
  
Her eyes flickered back to his, “Then I’ll be pleased when I’m no longer forced to meet with you”.    
  
The quip had no effect on the leader. When he made no attempt to move she pulled her knees to her chest and turned her head in avoidance.    
  
He sighed. “In time you’ll find lifting rocks won’t be enough.” He crouched down to her level, “and when you’re ready I’ll be there”   
  
She looked up at him silently. Rey did not want his help nor his pity. While she had much to learn her strength rivaled his not long ago. If her powers were dwindling who’s to say his weren’t. Now she tapped into that power, willing it to take a front hold. She searched his mind slowly carefully prodding at his mental barrier. She sought deeper seeing just a glimpse before her. It was solemn and meant to be kept private. His eyes suddenly went wide. “No,” he yelled thrusting a curled hand forward. Her hands jumped to her tightened throat and her body rose just enough so her toes were grazing the forest floor. Rey’s eyes bulged and she panicked in surprise of the motion. A moment later the tension was alleviated and she looked up to startled wide eyes.   
  
She breathed heavily trying to regain her breath’s normalcy. He stood before her silent watching as she came to.    
  
“Rey,” she heard. She looked at Ben whose eyes remained fixed and emotionless on her form. “Rey!” She fluttered her eyes in confusion at his still lips. “What?” she begged. She turned, suddenly alerted by the tap on her shoulder and came face to face with Poe.    
  
The commander looked exhausted and displeased. He held a large flashlight in his hand and a small machete was strapped to his belt. His patience was growing thin. “Rey let’s go, you’re late.” he demanded taking her by the arm. As she was pulled away she turned her head back once more but Ben was gone. 


End file.
